1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detector mounted on a fluid pipe to measure and display a state quantity of a fluid.
2. Description of Related Art
Fluid pipes for delivering gases and liquids are provided with detectors to measure and display state quantities of fluids such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate.
These types of detectors include a detector portion that detects state quantity of a fluid flowing through the pipe and a display portion that displays the state quantity detected by the detector portion. The detectors need angle adjustments based on the direction of the pipes so as to facilitate viewing of the display portion. Such technique is disclosed in a document, Japanese Patent No. 3556046.
A detector according to this document includes a detector portion, a display portion and a click mechanism that holds the attitude of the display portion at each predetermined angle. The click mechanism has: a plurality of V-shaped grooves (engagement portion) radially provided on the circumference of either one of the display portion or the detector portion around the rotation axis of the display portion; and a ring-shaped leaf spring (engagement piece) on the other one of the display portion and the detector portion, the leaf spring including a V-shaped tongue biased toward and engageable to the engaging portion. The click mechanism allows the angle adjustment of the display portion, where a click feel is generated by the engagement of the V-shaped grooves and the tongue, thereby assisting temporary holding of the display portion. In addition, a stopper projection is provided on the surface of the engagement portion to limit the rotation range. It must be noted that, in the click mechanism, an intermediary joint is inserted into a hollow portion of the display body so that a distal end of a riser portion of the intermediary joint is projected, and the leaf spring is fitted to the distal end of the riser portion that is crimped and fixed.
According to the click mechanism disclosed in the aforementioned document, however, the plurality of V-shaped grooves (engagement portion), radially provided on the display body, and the ring-shaped leaf spring provided with a V-shaped tongue to be engaged with the engagement portion require complicated shape-processing and, consequently, high manufacturing cost.
Further, dedicated jigs are necessary in order to crimp the leaf spring, which increases the manufacturing steps and consequently manufacturing cost. Furthermore, uneven crimping may impair the rotation feel.
Another disadvantage is caused by the leaf spring for angle adjustment of the display, which is configured as a mechanism that moves in vertical direction with respect to the surface of the engagement portion. In order to provide a long tongue sufficient to ensure the resilience of the spring, the engagement portion and hollow portion of the display body have to be large, which necessitates a large space.
The recent demands for downsizing, space-saving, and multifunctionality also favor small detectors.